Colyar Vaults Lakeside Into Lead

2A track and field

The Lakeside High boys track team found itself atop the State 2A heap Friday largely because pole vaulter Matt Colyar found himself where he didn’t expect to be - at the top.

Colyar captured gold in the first day of the state meet at Eastern Washington University’s Woodward Stadium, vaulting the Eagles of Nine Mile Falls into first with 23 points after five events. Ridgefield is second with 18; Elma, represented by two athletes, was next at 16; and favored Pullman, expected to score considerable points in the sprints and relays today, was next with 14.

After four finals, seven girls teams had 10 or more points led by Ephrata’s 16. Woodland and East Valley of Yakima were tied with 12 and Omak, Colville, Montesano and Ridgefield had 10 each. The chase for the team title is expected to be a three-team battle between Woodland, Omak and Steilacoom.

Colyar vaulted 14 feet to top three others at 13-6 in a tightly competitive and, at times bizarre, final in which two fiberglass poles shattered.

Colyar, who placed 12th last year, never envisioned a state title.

“Now, I can believe it,” Colyar, a senior, said as he clutched his gold medal. “My goal was just to place; I just wanted to be on the (awards) podium. I thought 14 would get me in the top three.”

Colyar, who has coached himself in the event, missed on his first attempt at 12-0. He had three attempts at 14-6.

He thought he cleared 14-6 on his final jump, but he pinched the bar on his right side while descending.

As preliminary heats for the three state meets continued non-stop, athletes endured short bits of rain and longer spurts of swirling, bone-chilling wind.

In the first running final in the morning, Colville sophomore Crystal Evans made up for a disappointing finish in cross country (her favorite sport) by easily winning the 3,200.

Evans ran the eight-lap event in 11 minutes, 30.76 seconds to finish almost 9 seconds ahead of Staci Hunter of Ephrata.

Evans talked about experiencing disappointment and elation in the same year. At the district cross country meet last fall, she was among the leaders before falling and finishing a distant 15th.

“It was a bummer,” Evans said. “But sometimes bummers have to happen so you can experience the good.”

Evans didn’t know what to expect in her first year out for track.

“I thought it would be boring at first - just running around in circles,” she said, smiling.

To keep races from becoming monotonous, Evans quotes Bible scriptures. It accomplishes the obvious desired result of passing the time away, but also proves inspirational.

“I just try to do my best and have fun,” Evans said moments after giving a thumbs up to her family and teammates from atop the awards stand.

Scott Freymond of Elma held off Pullman’s Leonel Dorvil to win the triple jump with a personal-best leap of 46-3-3/4. Dorvil went 44-10.

In other finals, Kristi Lund of Ridgefield won the discus at 132-4, a personal best by 9 feet and a 14-foot improvement over her best prelim attempt. Chrissy O’Neal of Chewelah took second (127-4).

Karey Frafjord of Montesano won the high jump (5-4); Ann Sullivan of Omak the long jump (17-10); Kevin Smith of Ridgefield the 1,600 (4:19.42); Seth Berghoff of Toppenish the javelin (187-8) as the top five placers were separated by 4 feet; and Shaun Straka of Montesano the shot put (54-9-1/2), winning by 3-1/2 inches.

The balance of the field events and majority of the running finals begin this morning at 9:30.